Enhanced or ionized topical formulations are frequently associated with a variety of health benefits and have recently gained popularity for that reason. By way of example, water enhanced by alkaline materials contains antioxidants which are thought to combat free radicals within a person's body and increase the pH of a user's body. As a result, it is believed that alkali-enhanced water may boost a user's immune system and slow his or her aging process.
It has been suggested that using enhanced formulations may beneficially increase a user's bodily alkalinity levels, which can become more acidic as a result of eating fatty and processed foods. In some cases, an abundance of acid in one's body can lead to stomach pains, headaches, and fatigue. Additionally, some enhanced molecules, such as alkaline water molecules, form smaller clusters than do non-enhanced water molecules. It is thought that these smaller, enhanced water molecule clusters are more readily absorbed—as compared to the larger molecule clusters—by cells within the body which may cause the user to feel more hydrated than if he or she had used non-enhanced water.
It has also been proposed that using formulations enhanced by alkaline materials can decrease the risk of osteoporosis by decreasing the body's acidity. This is because an overly-acidic bodily environment can cause calcium loss, which may result in damaged and degraded bones.
As another example, bacteria known to develop on skin and in pores tend to thrive in acidic environments. Alkali-enhanced formulations may thus be externally or topically applied to a user's skin to reduce the acidity and habitability for bacteria of the skin and decrease amount of bacteria and dwelling within the user's pores, which in turn, may enhance the cleanliness and overall health of a user's skin.
One way that consumers have obtained enhanced formulations is to buy pre-packaged beverage bottles containing enhanced water and other fluid formulations. However, providing enhanced fluids in this manner fails to conveniently enable topical application the enhanced formulations.
A second method of obtaining enhanced formulations is for a user to take an un-enhanced formulation and personally add an enhancing solution so that the formulation becomes enhanced. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,511 issued to Whang discloses an alkali booster solution that a user may add to his or her regular bottled water or tap water. The proposal is deficient, however, because it suggests adding booster solution to water each time boosted water is desired. In other words, it requires the user to always have the alkali booster solution on hand which can be tedious and cumbersome and prone to inconvenience due to forgetfulness.
Yet another method of obtaining enhanced formulations is to attach an alkali filter to a water faucet. By way of example, U.S. Pub. No. 2006/0032753 filed by Hsien teaches a faucet that contains a water filter and an electrolyzing machine that adds elements to the filtered water which results in enhanced water. This system is deficient, however, because alkali filters are generally limited for use in combination with a particular faucet. They are not easily transferred between remote faucets, making them non-ideal for those seeking readily available topically applicable enhanced water.
Although various proposals have been made to solve the problem, none of those in existence combine the characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, there is a need for a portable device that allows a user to topically enjoy potential benefits of enhanced water.